Johann Burchard

Johann Burchard (1450-1506) was an Alsatian priest and chronicler during the Renaissance.

Biography
Johann Burchard was born in Niederhaslach, Alsace in 1450 to a family of humble origins, and he became secretary to the Vicar-General of the Bishop of Strasbourg. In 1467, he left the vicar and went to Rome after he was suspected of theft, and he became a Protonary Apostolic in 1481 before becoming Master of Ceremonies under Pope Sixtus IV in 1483; he held the office until his 1506 death. He became a well-known adviser to the College of Cardinals and the Pope, and his advice was valued by all; he was obligated to give his advice to anyone who asked. In 1492, Pope Alexander VI had him search for a precedent to appoint 13 cardinals, which would tip the amount of cardinals in the college in his favor. He also chronicled the history of the Papacy, and his journal included an excerpt about Cesare Borgia holding an orgy with several prostistutes in 1500, holding a contest with several other attendees. Burchard died in 1506.